The Coalition commends Governor Sununu for vetoing SB141 and HB334 and ensuring that NH’s background checks protect crime victims.

August 10, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Amanda Grady Sexton (603) 548-9377, [email protected]

The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence applauds Governor Sununu for vetoing SB141 and HB334, which would have placed victims of domestic violence and stalking at heightened risk of lethal assault in our state. We are grateful that the Governor stood with the New Hampshire Department of Justice, the NH Judicial Branch, and crime victim advocates who are working to ensure that our background check system in New Hampshire will remain strong and responsive to victims of domestic violence and stalking. We call on the New Hampshire Legislature to sustain this veto.

The passage of SB141 and HB334 would substantially weaken our background check system and could result in increased incidents of domestic violence homicide. Our member programs shared significant concerns that passage of this legislation would lead to the inadvertent sale of firearms to those who are legally prohibited from purchasing weapons due to their extreme risk of harming their partners and children.

Should this legislation pass, it will leave the state with an incomplete and inconsistent database system that will not cover all types of court protective orders. The outright elimination of the Gunline without sufficient planning and evaluation would trivialize the very real danger that victims of domestic violence and stalking face every day in this state.

“These bills further endanger victims of domestic violence and stalking in the Granite State. Our background check system must remain comprehensive so that individuals who are legally prohibited from purchasing a firearm will be flagged during a background check,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, the Coalition’s Director of Public Affairs. “The state’s current background check system provides the necessary safeguards to ensure that dangerous abusers will not have access to firearms that can be used to kill their victims. Victim safety must remain paramount when considering any changes to our background check system in New Hampshire.”

Read the Coalition's letter to the Governor here.


About the Coalition:

NHCADSV is a statewide network of 12 independent member programs committed to ending sexual violence, domestic violence, and stalking, through direct services to victims, community education, and public policy advocacy. The NHCADSV and its 12 member programs do not discriminate based on gender, age, health status (including HIV-positive), physical, mental, or emotional ability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, socio-economic status, race, national origin, immigration status, or religious or political affiliation. For more information visit www.nhcadsv.org.

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